2011 Tour de France Stage 6: Dinan - Lisieux, 226.5 km

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink: "if I don't improve there's no point in me being here".

Luckily there's still Mollema.

That doesn't sound very hopefull

 

[pedaling squares]

This has been a brilliant week of racing so far - like brilliant classics/one day racing

Yep, one of the better first weeks in a while. The rising finishes take away much of the boredom that the pancake flat stages bring.

Must have been a tough day for Boonen, the longest stage in crap weather when he's feeling beat up.

 

[just some guy]

I dont really get why people think Super-Besse is going to tell much. Gaps will be tiny, a couple seconds between strung out groups.

We'll know little until stage 12.

I think you will be surprised - not major but big enough

 

[abbaskip]

Its been terrible today:

Its Boasson Hagen's first tour
Westra is Hoogerland in disguise
Vacansoliel have a wild card

Edit: and now we're watching stage 4 replay - half an hour to fill?

Haha yep. And Mike had no idea what we were going to show...

Half his issue is all he knows about cycling he has learnt from listening to Paul and Phil...

When he interviews Rupert Guiness, Scott Sunderland, Matt White, Phil Anderson etc, you can tell they're just thinking 'you have no idea mate'

 

[pedaling squares]

That doesn't sound very hopefull

Yeah - what were you saying about him being so mentally strong? Sounds a bit like a broken man to me.

 

[Jamsque]

Super Besse will not be decisive but it will shake up the GC plenty. At least one or two big GC hopefuls will fail to show up.

 

[BYOP88]

And I have watched it again too and stand by my assessment that he tried to launch before the roundabout and didn't have it before or after. I guess we will just have to disagree.

I think before the roundabout he tried to launch it, but when he went the wrong/long way round the roundabout he shut it down.

 

[just some guy]

Super Besse will not be decisive but it will shake up the GC plenty. At least one or two big GC hopefuls will fail to show up.

Andy and Frank please

 

[Bala Verde]

A couple of mountain stages and Cadel could be in Green!

Bring back the combination jersey!

 

[red_flanders]

I think you will be surprised - not major but big enough

It's been raced before without any big gaps, and I see no one who's looking dominant enough to create a bIg difference.

Schlock will lose more time though.

 

[Anonymous]

That doesn't sound very hopefull

Nice way to accuse me of something that was complete BS, and not own up to it. Do they sell spines where you live?

 

[BYOP88]

Andy and Frank please

That would be prefect.

 

[VeloCity]

Group of about 20 at 12.26 back including Intxausti, Greipel, Porte, Chavanel among others.

What's happened to Chavanel this Tour? I thought he'd be flying over this first week, some of these stages seem to be perfect for him.

 

[patrick767]

Yep, one of the better first weeks in a while. The rising finishes take away much of the boredom that the pancake flat stages bring.

Must have been a tough day for Boonen, the longest stage in crap weather when he's feeling beat up.

Yep, I love the more interesting finishing routes. The sprinters who rely on pancake flat roads to have a good shot at it will cry, but I have no sympathy. It's more exciting this way. Sprinters who can handle a few hills are proving themselves.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Gesink: "if I don't improve there's no point in me being here".

Luckily there's still Mollema.

ahh.. and I thought he did well today... that is somewhat depressing :

 

[Anonymous]

I think before the roundabout he tried to launch it, but when he went the wrong/long way round the roundabout he shut it down.

And the launch before the roundabout didn't look strong enough to me. During the Giro, when he hit the pedals, he shot off quickly. He doesn't appear to have that snap in his legs right now.

 

[therhodeo]

On the Contador "attack" launching out of a quick moving group with sprinters still in it on a shallow climb is nothing like attacking Andy on a vertical wall in real mountains.

 

[BYOP88]

Bring back the combination jersey!

I think that means they'd have to cut one of the other jerseys.

 

[hrotha]

Andy and Frank please

Andy but not Fränk. I want to see Andy and his ego working for his brother.

 

[Delicato]

I dont really get why people think Super-Besse is going to tell much. Gaps will be tiny, a couple seconds between strung out groups.

We'll know little until stage 12.

It won't tell much but if, for example, AC or AS will not be able to respond to acceleration from Evans or VDB one can assume that,barring some magical injections on the rest day, the two favorites aren't in overwhelming form at the moment.

 

[BYOP88]

And the launch before the roundabout didn't look strong enough to me. During the Giro, when he hit the pedals, he shot off quickly. He doesn't appear to have that snap in his legs right now.

Yeah he didn't look in Giro form, when he tried to launch it, but I guess he has a week or so until the mountains(well he'll need some form for saturday).

 

[Anonymous]

Nor did Contador have that snap on the 4th stage. He didn't have the ability to create a gap of any significance. I stand by my assessment.

 

[therhodeo]

Nor did Contador have that snap on the 4th stage.

Oh that was already settled on here. It was because he wasn't in the drops.

 

[Bala Verde]

ahh.. and I thought he did well today... that is somewhat depressing :

I think he had 2 bike changes, and during one of them it sowed he wasn't full of joy. I think he is extremely agitated that he was on the ground, it was raining all day long, he is wrapped in gauze (wet weather and stitches in your arm for 6 yuck), he was off the back once or twice (after those bike changes perhaps), and he might feel he is letting his team down.

I think he said yesterday something like "you prepare all year long for such a race an then this happens"

That he lost morale yesterday was telling; he never seemed like a rider that would lose morale.

Let's hope the team can talk some sense into him and he might surprise himself in a week.

 

[VeloCity]

And the launch before the roundabout didn't look strong enough to me. During the Giro, when he hit the pedals, he shot off quickly. He doesn't appear to have that snap in his legs right now.

But to play devil's advocate, the fact that AC's even considering attacking on a stage like this could indicate that he's feeling pretty good. If he wasn't up to snuff, most likely he'd just sit in and hope that the legs come around for the mountains - which is, I get the feeling, what Andy is doing.